Giveaway: All About Advent and Christmas

Enter to win a copy of Katherine Bogner's new book about living the seasons of Advent and Christmas in your domestic church.

All About Advent & Christmas, Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children, written by Katherine Bogner and illustrated & designed by Shari Van Vranken is a colorfully illustrated children’s book. This holiday-themed 44-page book encourages interactive exploration of Advent and Christmas through insightful biblical information presented in a relatable fashion for children and their families. 

The lively, life-like illustrations create an engaging map of resources as the author weaves important “Words to Know” along with vibrant infographics, quotes, and call-outs that are easy to follow from chapter to chapter. For example, within The Liturgical Year section, the author includes a quote from the Catechism of The Catholic Church to accompany the lesson. 

The Church, in the course of the year, unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from His Incarnation and Nativity through His Ascension, to Pentecost and the expectations of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord. 

While this beautiful holiday book targets children to strengthen their faith journey and understanding of Advent, I found the readings and insights just as helpful for my continued Catholic education as a devoted convert and parent with four little ones at home. I particularly appreciated the suggestions for how families and friends can come together to celebrate around the Advent wreath, recite holiday prayers, and review key biblical stories, saints, and Christmas traditions as a group. 

Each chapter focuses on either a significant topic, saint, or tradition, all with the bottom line of showing us how we can better understand the specialness of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Within each section, there is an educational term, call-out, and beautiful illustration to enhance our knowledge while reminding us how lucky we are to celebrate such a meaningful and rich holiday with our own communities around the world. 

The author puts Advent and Christmas into a worldwide context, highlighting ways countries in Latin America celebrate. For example, in countries like Mexico and Guatemala,

a festival called Las Posadas (which means “the inns”) begins on December 16 and lasts for nine days. A group of people led by children playing the roles of an angel, Joseph, and Mary travels to different home or church each night.

Quotes and important facts feature Saint Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Nicholas, Saint Lucy, other saints of Advent, and Biblical figures as well. The section "Saints of Advent '' reviews the December feast days and how we can celebrate these holy women and men each day of December. 

Portions of the book celebrate “The Light of the World,” showcasing to readers how God uses light to draw us closer to Him. The opening chapter, Light and Darkness, introduces us to the light of Jesus.

When God created the world, the first thing He did was speak light into being. God made the sun, moon, and stars to illuminate our journey and brighten both our days and nights.

I highly recommend this book to all families seeking to enlighten their holiday in holy ways this Christmas season. 

Ask for All About Advent & Christmas at your local Catholic bookseller, or purchase online from Amazon.com or the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

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Enter to win a copy of All About Advent & Christmas #giveaway #CatholicMom

Enter to win your very own copy of All About Advent & Christmas! The publisher is offering a copy of this new book to one Catholic Mom reader with a mailing address in the USA. To enter, simply leave a comment on this article answering this question:

What Advent practice are you most looking forward to this year?

This giveaway is open through 12:01 AM on Tuesday, November 14, 2021. One winner will be chosen at random from all comments on this article during the giveaway period; comments left on social media are not counted as entries. Winner must have a USA mailing address. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Unclaimed prizes will be awarded to alternate winners. Prizes will be shipped directly to winner by the prize sponsor.

Copyright 2023 Cassidy Van Skyke Blenke
Images: (top, bottom) Canva; screenshots from digital version of All About Advent & Christmas courtesy of The Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology, all rights reserved.